Feb 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 2

GUEST COMENTARY Michael

GUEST COMENTARY Michael Brown How the People’s Republic of China’s foreign policies impact street-level policing in the USA Law enforcement agencies across the United States are in a daily battle against organized drug trafficking organizations. Their main objective of law enforcement is to serve and protect the public from criminal activities that arise from the distribution of narcotics, such as fentanyl. They are also striving to dismantle the drug supply chains that smuggle fentanyl and other narcotics across the southern border. Once narcotics are smuggled into the United States, they travel through America’s highway networks, small towns, and cities, spreading their deadly effects. Police departments, particularly smaller ones, face a growing complex fentanyl challenge. The danger of cartel fentanyl is not limited to just creating thousands of individuals addicted to a powerful street narcotic, which is 50 times more potent than heroin, but also those who think they are taking a legitimate prescription drug which turns out to be a cartel fentanyl pill. These individuals sometimes fall into the web on new addiction or worse yet, suffer a fatal overdose. While the narcotics battle is nationwide, smaller police departments are least prepared for the fight due to a shortage of resources: human, equipment, finances, and intelligence. Fentanyl is primarily imported from cartels in Mexico, but many of the precursor chemicals (the raw ingredients needed to produce fentanyl) reach Mexico via China. The U.S. has been trying to collaborate with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) to disrupt the fentanyl supply chain at its source, requesting the PRC to stop allowing the export of essential precursors. In response, the PRC passed laws in 2018 and 2019 to curb the export of fentanyl and some precursors to the United States. However, not all precursors were restricted, and it seems as if there was little resolve on the part of the PRC to enforce the current fentanyl export laws. Despite political rhetoric, the PRC has not fulfilled its anti-narcotic obligations, made promises but delivered little in preventing and prosecuting those in the fentanyl supply chain. In October 2023, the US Justice Department announced indictments against 8 Chinese chemical companies and 12 of their employees for their role in supplying and distributing synthetic opioids and precursors in America. Similarly, four Chinese companies and eight executives and employees were indicted on similar charges in June 2023. It remains to be seen whether the PRC will prosecute or even investigate. On a more positive note, after a November 2023 meeting between the PRC’s President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joseph R. Biden, the PRC agreed to impose additional restrictions to deal with the fentanyl crisis, which, so far, it seems intent on honoring. America can only hope to see positive action from the PRC and vigorous law enforcement followed by successful prosecutions in its courts. TWO OUT OF THREE One problem this agreement still faces, even if enforced 100%, is that only two sides are involved. The fentanyl supply chain consists of China (and some other countries) producing the narcotic or precursor chemicals; America, which is the distribution and usage point; and Mexico, where the fentanyl is imported from and where large laboratories making the narcotics are located. The supply chain will never be degraded if Mexico is omitted from any agreement. With the enormous cash resources, chemical and narcotic stockpiles, and the influence the cartels have at the highest levels in Mexico, the stream of narcot- 18 The Blues - February ‘24

ics crossing the southern border every day will continue. In 2022, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported seizing more than 364 million lethal doses of fentanyl (2 mg of fentanyl is considered a lethal dose). The 2023 figures have risen to enough for 410 million deadly doses. MORE CHALLENGING THAN LARGE CARTELS The fight against precursors is challenging. The chemicals used are usually not on a restricted list, making them legal to produce and distribute. In addition, due to the strength of fentanyl, smaller quantities can be shipped with ease. With millions of legitimate deliveries dispatched to the United States each month, finding the narcotics among them is close to impossible for agencies like the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The small quantities and the ease of making fentanyl from precursors (and the enormous profits) also encourage the growth of small ‘mom-and-pop’ narcotic start-up distributors that operate from anywhere, including American suburbs. They take a small amount of fentanyl, cut it with other chemicals, and press them out into deadly fentanyl pills ready for on-line distribution. An example is 64-year-old Joanne Marian Segovia, the executive director of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association, who was charged in early 2023 with ordering thousands of opioids, including fentanyl, to be delivered to her home (at least 61 shipments were mailed to her) with the intent of selling them. Worse still, she used her computer at the police union office to run her operation. The shipments were labeled as ‘Shirts Tops’, ‘Chocolate and Sweets’, and ‘Gift Makeup’, among other innocent designations. Moreover, no briefcases full of cash changed hands. She communicated via WhatsApp and paid via an app. Additionally, in some American cities with progressive laws that legitimize the possession, use, and sale of limited quantities of narcotics, like cocaine, and heroin, dealers know that being caught means a slap on the wrist, at worst, further encouraging them. BIG TROUBLE IN SMALL- TOWN AMERICA The DEA, the U.S. Justice Department, and many other authorities are tackling the problem of transnational narcotic cartels, as the above indictments and others demonstrate. Even police departments in large towns and cities have dedicated personnel focusing on narcotics. Small- to medium-sized police departments are not that fortunate, however. Not only are they faced with a shortage of staff who have to address all the law enforcement issues in their region, but some smaller towns only have dedicated law enforcement officers in daylight hours. Additionally, these officers do not have extensive training programs, especially in relation to complex narcotics investigations. This makes it even easier for cartels to establish small operations in these towns. The solution to this crisis is complex. However, it can be done if all sectors of society acknowledge the issue and work together. The following five points provide an action plan that would assist smaller departments in keeping their communities and officers safe. 1. DECLARE THE TOP MEXI- CAN CARTELS AS NARCO-TER- RORISTS To counteract the resources and murderous brutality that define the cartels, the Federal Government must declare a national emergency and designate them as narco-terrorists. Only once this is done can the country’s resources be combined to address the cartels in the same way America identifies and degrades terrorist actions against the Homeland using integrating police, military, and intelligence strategies to effectively diminish all threats. 2. IMPROVED COOPERATION TO GATHER AND ANALYZE IN- TELLIGENCE Collecting and collating all the data gathered from various classified and unclassified sources, is critical to knowing the enemy and how to deal with them. The DEA and CBP understands this. As one of their strategic goals, it collaborates with “a wide range of stakeholders to increase seizures of illicit synthetic drugs and to disrupt the supply chain.” From these data-driven operations, it plans to improve the inter-agency network that gathers and shares information to produce actionable intelligence to support joint operations against narcotics trafficking. This is where smaller police depart- The Blues - February ‘24 19